Project #56 Bunny Rabbit egg cozy

Bunny rabbit egg cosy by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Hippity hoppity Easter’s on it’s way and I’m trying to avoid giving chocolate eggs as gifts this holiday. Egg cosies are a craft from my childhood that I recently resurrected to help my plans when the big bunny rolls into town.

You’ll need:
*Small piece of fabric, such as felt or a knit
*Coloured embroidery thread
*Embroidery needle
*Buttons
*Scissors

Step one: Cut two rectangles from your fabric and round the top ends with scissors. Cut two triangles from the leftover scraps of fabric.

Step two: Attach two buttons to one of the rounded rectangles and use embroidery thread to sew a small cross underneath. This will form your bunny’s face.

Step three: Place your two pieces of fabric together and secure them with a blanket stitch , leaving the bottom open. Blanket stitch each side of the bottom opening.

Step four: Blanket stitch around the edges of your triangles. Note: The blanket stitch may make the fabric curl. This will give your bunny’s ears a unique ‘flop’. If you would prefer your ears to maintain their shape, cut an additional two triangles of fabric and stitch two pieces together to create one ear.

Step five: Secure the ears to the back of the cosy using a basic running stitch.

Step six: Pop your cosy over a hard boiled egg to keep it warm.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #54 Animal Masks

Animal Masks by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Imaginative play has to be one of the best parts of childhood. Bring your children’s favourite stories, songs and nursery rhymes to life with this animal mask craft project.

 

You’ll need:
* 2 x pieces of card stock
* Pink and grey coloured paper 
* Glue- Pencil
* Scalpel- Hole punch
* Cellotape
* 2 x pieces of ribbon


 

Rabbit
Step one: 
Draw an outline of a rabbit mask onto a piece of cardstock or download my templates 
Step two: 
Cut out the mask.
Step three: 
Draw the inside of rabbit ears on pink coloured paper, cut out and glue to mask.
Step four: 
Punch holes in either side of the mask.
Step five: 
Thread ribbon through hole and tie a knot to secure

 

Pig
Step one: 
Draw an outline of a pig mask onto a piece of cardstock or download my templates 
Step two: 
Cut out the mask and cover in pink paper.
Step three: 
Cover one section of an egg carton in pink paper and attach to the centre of the mask with cellotape.
Step four: 
Draw the inside of pig ears and nostrils on grey coloured paper, cut out and glue to mask.
Step five: 
Punch holes in either side of the mask.
Step six: 
Thread ribbon through hole and tie a knot to secure.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #52 Scrap Paper Pictures

Scrap Paper Pictures by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Mem Fox is a well known Australian children’s book author. I loved her books when I was young and have had great delight sharing them with Hunter. The latest in our collection is Hattie and the Fox – a lovely story about a black hen. The illustrations in this book were the inspiration for creating these scrap paper pictures. We chose to make a black hen but you could use this technique to create a picture of any animal.

You’ll need:
* Paper (coloured and plain)
* Pencil
* Glue

Step one:
Select a picture of an animal to use as a guide for your drawing.
Step two:
Collect pieces of coloured paper that match the colours of the animal’s skin, scales, feathers or fur.
Step three:
Draw the outline of your animal on a plain piece of paper.
Step four:
Tear the coloured pieces of paper into small squares.
Step five:
Glue the pieces of coloured paper onto the outline of your animal using your picture as a guide.

Note: Some children may need guidance with various steps in this project. I drew an outline of the hen for Hunter, but older children will be able to draw their own. Hunter was able to tear the pieces of paper by himself and we worked together to select the pieces that he then glued to the outline.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #49 and #50 Valentine

Hug Armband by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Mike is currently on three months paternity leave. 'H' is especially loving having him home and has developed a serious case of hero worship. He insists on giving Mike a ridiculous amount of hugs throughout the day, so we worked together on a project that made his little hugs more permanent. Here’s how to give your loved one a hug all day long.

What you'll need:

- Paint- Paper (plain and patterned)
- Cellotape
- Double sided tape and scissors

Step one:
Cover your child’s hand in paint.
Step two:
Stamp hand prints on a plain piece of paper and allow to dry.
Step three:
Assist your child in cutting out their hand prints.
Step four:
Cut a long strip of coloured paper the width of your child’s palm.
Step five:
Use cellotape to attach the handprints to the strip of coloured paper.
Step six:
Attach a piece of double sided tape to the underside of one hand.
Step seven:
Give someone a special hug by securing the band around their arm.

Valentine’s Day Garland by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Charlotte is still too small to participate in craft activities but I didn’t want her to miss out on the fun of Valentine’s Day, so I created this special garland for her room. This project would be a great craft activity for older children who are comfortable using scissors.

What you'll need:
- Coloured paper
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Cellotape
- Scalpel

Step one:
Draw nine hearts onto the back of a piece of coloured paper.
Step two:
Cut out the hearts.( You could use a heart paper punch, but I prefer the look of hand cut hearts.)
Step three:
Using a scalpel, make a vertical slit into the side of each heart.
Step four:
Cut strips of coloured paper that are the same width as the slits made on the hearts.
Step five:
Thread one strip of paper through one side of two hearts and secure with tape as shown. Repeat.
Step six:
(Optional) Write a sweet message onto your garland. I took inspiration from John, Paul, Ringo and George and wrote “Love, love me do. You know I love you.”
Step six:
hang your garland from the wall.

..Little. Lovely...

Note: The heart and bird decals shown are from Love Mae.

Project #48 Heart hand stamps

Heart hand stamps by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Hunter has a crush on the adorable five year old girl who lives next door. Lately, he’s been asking to make drawings and ‘presents’ for her, which started me thinking of child friendly Valentine’s Day crafts we could do together. These heart hand stamps are a super simple Valentine’s Day craft for your child to make for their little sweetheart.

What you'll need:
*Red paint
*White paper


Step one:
Cover the side of your child’s closed fist in red paint as shown.
Step two:
Stamp onto a piece of white paper to create a half heart shape.
Step three:
Using the alternate hand, repeat steps one and two. You can use these heart hand stamps to make cards, cute gift tags and wrapping paper - or even frame one (as we did) to save as a cute keepsake.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #46 Christmas Decorations

Christmas Decorations by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Making homemade Christmas decorations is a great way of helping your children embrace the spirit of Christmas but it’s often hard to find an activity that is appropriate for different age groups. Here’s a fun Christmas activity that can be modified for children of all ages.

You’ll need:
*Polymer clay (we used Fimo)
*Rolling pin
*Skewer
*Cookie cutters
*Ribbon
*Baking paper
*Baking tray

Step one:
Separate the polymer clay into even amounts for each child.
Step two:
Use a rolling pin or your hands to soften the clay.
Step three:
Older children can create any shape or decoration using the clay. Here, we created a wreath by plaiting three equal lengths of clay.
Younger children can use skewers to decorate shapes cut from clay using cookie cutters. 
Step four:
If you wish to hang the decorations from your tree, you can use a skewer to create a hole in the top of the finished decorations.
Step five:
Place decorations on baking paper and bake in the oven according to directions. (Ours was baked for 30mins at 110°C.)
Step six:
Thread a ribbon through your decorations and hang them on the tree or secure them to the top of a present.

Thanks Khali!!
..Little. Lovely...

Project #44 Christmas Tree Wall Decoration

Christmas Tree Wall Decoration by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Christmas is the favourite holiday in our house. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of creating Christmas decorations that I’ll now be making with my own children. Here’s one of my favourites – a paper plate Christmas tree.

You’ll need:
*10 x paper plates
*20 x green square art paper
*Stapler
*Double sided tape
*3 x patterned Christmas cards
*Scissors
*Blu Tac
*White ribbon (optional)

Note: Your green square paper should be the diameter of the inside of your paper plates.


Step one:
Concertina fold each piece of green square paper, then fold in half.
Step two:
Staple or tape the inside edges of your folded paper together as shown to create a half circle. Repeat.
Step three:
Take two half circles and staple or tape together to make a circle. Repeat.
Step four:
Attach your circle to the centre of a paper plate using double sided tape. Place Blu Tac on the back of the plates so they can be secured to your wall. Repeat for remaining plates.
Step five:
To make wreath decorations for your tree, cut a circle from the back  and the pattern from the front of each Christmas card, as shown.
Step six:
Secure the patterns to the circles with Blu Tac or double sided tape. Now attach the Christmas wreaths to your tree or to a piece of ribbon to hang above your tree.
Step seven: Assemble plates on your wall in the shape of a Christmas tree and decorate with wreaths.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #40 Toy Tin Drum

Toy Tin Drum by Khali from Little. Lovely.

Use a recycled tin to make a musical instrument for your toddler.

You'll need:
*Empty tin with lid
*Paint
*Contact (adhesive book cover)
*Craft glue
*Super glue
*Cutting mat
*Craft knife / blade
*2 x lengths of dowel
*Thick card stock (optional)

Step one:
Thoroughly wash and dry the inside of your tin.
Step two:
Paint the outside of your tin. You may need an undercoat and several layers of paint, depending on how easily the paint adheres to the tin. Set aside to completely dry.
Step three:
Draw a design for the outside of your tin onto standard paper. I used images I found online of a marching band and drummer boy as inspiration. Create your own design or download my images to save time. Note: Your finished design will be the mirror image of the one you draw.
Step four:
Take a piece of contact that is the same size as your design and use tape to hold the two together. (I stuck mine over the cutting mat to make them easier to cut out.)
Step five:
Carefully cut out your design, making sure you cut through the contact.
Step six:
Attach your cut out design to the outside of your tin. As my tin had ridges down its side, I chose to stick my design onto a piece of cardstock and attach the cardstock to the outside of the tin with glue.
Step seven:
Glue each length of the cord to the inside of your tin. This will become the drum’s strap so ensure it is long enough to hang around your child’s neck.
Step eight:
Run a thin line of super glue along the inside of the tin lid and attach to top of tin. Allow to dry.
Step nine:
Cut two pieces of contact using the dowel’s circumference as a guide. Cover both pieces of dowel in contact. Finish the drumsticks by tracing circles onto contact using the dowel ends as a guide. Affix the circles to the ends of the dowel. 

..Little. Lovely...

Project #36 Fun Fishing Game

Magnetic Goldfish Game by Khali from Little. Lovely.
 
This fun fishing game will help younger children with their fine motor development.
 
What you’ll need:
*Orange craft paper
*Orange marker pen
*Black felt tip pen
*Scissors
*Cellotape
*2 Lengths of twine
*2 Unsharpened pencils
*Glue
*4 Cupcake papers
*5 Metal paper clips
*2 Small magnets (round with a hole in the middle work best)

step one:
…Draw an outline of a goldfish and a mirror image of the same fish on craft paper. Repeat for the number of fish required. (We made five.)
step two:
…Decorate your fish (we gave ours scales) and cut them out using small scissors.
step three:
…Attach a paperclip to the back of one fish with cellotape, leaving a small section of paperclip sticking out the end of the fish. Apply glue, align the fish’s mirror image and stick together. Repeat for remaining fish.
step four:
…Make lily pads by flattening a green cupcake paper and cutting out a small section as shown. Apply glue to the round centre of the green cupcake paper and stick red cupcake paper to centre.
step five:
…Make your fishing pole by tying a piece of twine to the end of an unsharpened pencil. Attach magnet to the other end of the twine. Repeat for your second pole. Now, go fish!
 
How to play:
*Take turns to try and catch the fish by placing your fishing pole’s magnet on the paperclip sticking from the fish’s mouth.
*Spin your pencil between two fingers to reel in your fish.
*Place any caught fish in your lily pad.
*After all the fish have been caught, count your fish. The person with the most fish wins!
 
Note: Increase the difficulty of the game for older children by making different coloured fish and poles in corresponding colours.

..Little. Lovely...

Project #32 Recycled Castle

 

Recycled Castle by Khali from Little. Lovely. ...use household paper items you’d normally recycle to make this fun castle. 

What you'll need:

* 2 kitchen paper tubes
* 4 toilet rolls
* 1 small box
* 4 straws
* A4 sheets craft paper
* Scissors
* Cellotape
* Coloured marker pens

 

step one:
..remove flaps from box and cut small rectangles from the top of each side to
make castle battlement.
step two:
..cut the kitchen tubes in half to make four. Evenly centre the tubes on each box
corner and mark where the box and tube meet. Cut in about 1 in. along the
marked lines and slide the tubes onto the corners of the box.

step three:
.. cut triangles from craft paper and secure to end of straws with cellotape. Attach
the straws to the inside of the tubes.
step four:
.. draw a door and two windows on craft paper, cut out and attach to the front of
the castle with cellotape. 
step five:
.. cut 4 shapes from A4 sheet of craft paper that resemble tops of trees. Cut two 1 in. slits into top of toilet roll, directly opposite each other. Slip paper shapes into top of toilet roll.

..Little. Lovely...